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Professor Anil Kumar's Sunday Satsang
Prasanthi Nilayam
The Sunday Talk Given by Anil Kumar
"What is Happening?"
June 13th, 2004
OM…OM…OM…
Sai Ram
With Pranams at the Lotus Feet of Bhagavan,
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
We
thank Swami wholeheartedly for making it possible for all of us to
meet once again after a gap of about two months. I hope you have
enjoyed your summer in spite of the severe heat. With the return of
Swami, we are quite jubilantly enjoying His company, and the days
are simply passing by like that. Since this is the first day of
satang after the summer break, it was suggested that I wait for
one or two minutes more before commencing so that others could join.
But we have to start at 10 o'clock on the dot, as we have been doing
all along.
What's Happening?
Anyway, I was thinking of what I would talk to you about this
morning. People requested, "Let us know what's happening." So I
thought that had better be the topic of the day: "What's
Happening?"
Everywhere people have been asking me, "How is Swami?" "How is
Swami?" And people have started interpreting in their own ways.
"What is happening?" From all over the world, we are getting emails
also asking, "What's happening? What's happening?"
To
discuss this topic, I have a few points that I want to draw to your
special attention this morning. Towards the end, you'll get the
answer to "What's happening?"
Let's
know what is happening with us first, before we try to know what is
happening outside. Let us know what is happening within every one of
us to start with. That would enable us to know what is happening
outside. We are restless; we have no peace. We are educated, yet we
are disturbed and the mind is turbulent. Why?
Pride is the cause of misery
The
main reason which Swami focused on in several discourses happens to
be this - pride. Pride is the cause of misery. We are not aware of
the existence of pride and, although it varies in dosage and in
quantity, it exists in everyone.
Pride
manifests in several forms. It forms part of the ego-complex. It
exhibits and manifests in various dimensions. The only thing is that
the more we are aware of it, the more we will be free from it. But
if we are not aware of that kind of ego, then the pride within us
wells up. Misery is the result. Man is miserable, man is restless
and without peace of mind whatsoever because of this pride.
Bhagavan often tells the students that 'pride goes before a fall',
in spite of your achievements, accomplishments, position, authority,
contacts, influence, or whatever else you may call it. Just as water
is sure to flow downward, a man of pride is sure to fall in life.
Water always flows downward. I don't think that anybody would
dispute that. Whatever may be the country, water is sure to flow
downward. Likewise, a man of pride is sure to fall someday. So, one
has got to be vigilant. One has got to be extra careful. One has to
assess for one's own self to what extent he is influenced by the
unnoticed pride that is hidden within.
One
gentleman used to joke a long time ago about humility of pride,
arrogance. "He has humility of arrogance. He appears to be quite
humble, but there is arrogance within and pride of virtue." It
appears to be quite an irony of life. One might appear to be quite
simple and humble but yet there's pride within, ego within.
Don't bother about
what others think of you
Here
is a simple example. I get phone calls from our friends asking,
"What does Bhagavan say about me?"
"Oh,
I see."
Some
person says, "I gave a letter. Did He respond?"
"I gave Him a book. What does He say
about it? What are His comments about my book? My book has not yet
been published. Did Baba say anything against it?"
"What
do people say about me in Prashanti Nilayam?"
What
reply I can I give them? What reply? I can only pray, 'Father they
know not what they do. Forgive them.'
It is
only ego which makes you feel that people think about you. Nobody
will think of anybody, this is certain. This is stated by William
Shakespeare in The Twelfth Night about the character Duke
Orsino. Duke Orsino is happy in the idea of being in love, though
not loving anyone himself. He doesn't love, but he feels happy in
the idea of being in love.
Similarly, since we feel so important, we want to know what others
are saying about us, what others are feeling about us and what
opinion others are having about us. "What is their opinion?" We want
to know. It is nothing but ego, that's all.
Sometimes I get a phone call from someone asking, "What are people
saying about me in Prashanti Nilayam?"
You
are 20,000 miles away from this place, and you want to know what
people are saying about you here?! We can laugh sometimes, or we can
simply avoid answering, but we cannot do it forever and ever. There
must be some full stop to such questions.
Finally I gave an answer. I am sure you will agree with me. This is
my answer to the question. What is the question? "What are people
saying about me in Prashanti Nilayam?" "What does Swami say about
my letter?" "Has anybody reported against me to Swami?"
My answer is this: "Why do you think
you are so important? Why do you think that you are the centre of
discussion here? You are not even the President of a nation -- you
are not Blair or Bush or someone like that. Why do you think that
people are discussing about you? It is nothing but ego. Please
forgive yourself. Don't bother what others think about you."
This
is not inquisitiveness -- to know what others are feeling. No. It is
nothing but an expression of ego. So, ego expresses itself in
different forms. One has to be aware. One has to be alert. That is
the cause of misery, as Bhagavan explained in earlier discourses.
People are jealous
of each other
Point
2: People are jealous of each other. Suppose someone says, "This is
what I have done." The other man will say, "I have done much better
than you!"
If
anyone says, "I had very good darshan this morning," the
other man will say, "You are wrong. Yesterday was better than
today!"
If
anyone says, "Swami stood in front of me," the other man says, "He
always stands in front of me everyday!"
If
anyone says, "Swami appeared in my dreams and said this," the other
asks, "Is this the first time you are dreaming?" (Laughter)
It is nothing but ego. The second man is not prepared to accept what
the first man says because he wants to show his superiority. That is
nothing but an ego complex.
Someone will say, "I had beautiful darshan of Swami." The
other man will say, "Is this your first visit?" (Laughter)
"Is this your first visit?" This is all nothing but ego.
We
are not prepared to hear. We are not prepared to accept what another
man has to say. The reason is that we want to express our
domination. We want to show our superiority. We want to show our
seniority. Seniority and superiority are born out of a fundamental
inferiority complex. This is all nothing but jealousy and envy. This
is what Bhagavan said.
Suppose one student says, "Sir, this is the ring given to me," the
other fellow will say, "Is that the only one He gave you? I will
show you my chain."
Watch, you know, just watch. We will know how things happen. What is
happening within me? Suppose Swami gives you something. Well,
immediately I start thinking about what He has given me earlier. 'Is
it the same type or a different type? What kind of watch? What brand
is it? Nine gems, circular fashion, angular or what?' This is
because I don't want the other man to be equal. No, no, no! I should
be little more than the other man!
You should not feel
jealous
This
gift is a bond. That's why
Bhagavan, while materialising vibhuthi during darshan,
immediately says, "Are you jealous? Jealousy, jealousy!" That's what
Swami says. But once I was trying to be smart when Swami gave a
watch to one boy. He immediately looked at me and said, "Jealousy?
Are you jealous?"
Then
I said, "Swami, I don't have to be jealous because You gave me one
already."
(Laughter)
I thought that was the correct answer.
But
Swami said, "No, no, no. You are not jealous because you got it
earlier. No, no, no. You should not feel jealous even if you did not
get one before. Because you got it earlier, you are not jealous.
Even without getting it before, you should never feel jealous of
anybody." That's what Swami said.
So,
my friends, what is happening with me? It is pride that is the cause
for my fall and misery. Jealousy and envy
express an intensity that spoils mutual relationships. Why? Why are
we jealous? What is the root cause of this jealousy and pride? Why?
One
reason is absence of awareness or absence of experience of one's own
true nature. When I had no experience of my true nature, when I had
no sense of my true identity or awareness, pride, envy, jealousy and
hatred all stepped into my life. One has got to be sensitive. One
has got to be receptive, responsive, fully aware and alert.
We lack
Self-Confidence
So,
spiritual awareness is not merely the promise of another world or a
better world or an inter-planetary travel up to
heaven or the paranormal in a
life-after-death. No. Spiritual awareness is beneficial right here
and now. It is beneficial right here and now. But it calls for
self-examination, self-evaluation, self-scrutiny, self-observation,
and self-study. Most often, we are interested to study everybody.
But we don't study ourselves. We evaluate everybody else, but we do
not assess ourselves.
So,
what's happening in the world? What's happening with me? Either
there is jealousy or pride. They just start appearing alternately,
making life miserable, very sad. The main cause for this jealousy
and pride, as I brought to your attention here, is the absence of
awareness, the absence of Self-confidence.
I
will give you one example: Somebody came and told Swami some things
that people say about Swami and His mission. They mentioned some
points.
Then
Baba said, "I am not carried away by your praise nor will I be
disturbed by your blame. I am beyond praise and blame. I am not
elated or bloated by your words of praise; nor am I disturbed or
depressed by your blame. I am beyond praise and blame."
Then
immediately came another question: "How is it possible for You? Why
is it not possible in our case? Why am I not able to go beyond
praise and blame? I want only praise. I don't want anybody to blame
me. Even when there is genuine cause for people to start blaming me,
I try to justify it. I do not accept that I am wrong." This is
because of the absence of Self-confidence, as Baba has said.
Absence of awareness and absence of Self-confidence.
As
Baba says, "What I will, will happen. My will is inscrutable. I can
transmute earth into sky and sky into earth. Nothing can interfere
with My will. What I want to happen will happen." This is the
Supreme confidence.
Being
Baba's devotees, if we have just a decimal of His confidence,
naturally we will be beyond praise and blame. We will certainly be
above duality. We will be naturally peaceful and happy. Swami wants
us to be Self-confident.
You are born with
confidence
Then
came another question immediately. (We want to ask questions and we
want to know, though we don't want to do. We don't want to act but
we want to know.) "Swami, what is the cause of misery?" He answers.
"What are my weaknesses?" He mentions. "Why?" He gives the reason.
"Then why are You like that?" He tells you.
Then
the next question comes, "How do I develop Self-confidence?" You say
that the absence of Self-confidence is responsible for all misery.
Fine. Envy and pride all get in because I don't have
Self-confidence. Fine. Next question: "How do I develop Self
confidence?"
And
now Baba, with a smile, tells you:
Self-confidence is neither imported nor exported; neither generated
nor manufactured. It is not shifted. It is not a gift either. You
are born with confidence. You are born with confidence! But
unfortunately, the confidence which is one's birthright is lost with
the passage of time because of selfishness, unhealthy rivalry,
competition and comparison. Unhealthy rivalry, competition, and
comparison are responsible for the absence of Self-confidence.
In fact,
we are born with Self-confidence, as Baba repeatedly tells us. If
you are not Self-confident, you will never step out of your house.
If you think that there is no chance of returning home, you will
never come out of your house. You are confident of your safe return,
isn't that right? You go to school because you are quite confident
that you will follow the lesson, appear for the examination, and
come out with flying colours. You are quite confident of your
memory. You are quite confident of your strength. You are quite
confident of your will power.
You are quite confident of your people.
Nobody taught you this confidence. This confidence you have not
learned anywhere. Why? Because you are born with it. But it is lost
due to silly considerations of selfishness. Therefore, Baba wants us
to be free from pride and jealousy by developing awareness and a
little more Self-confidence.
A Sacred Duty
The
third point is one that Swami always tells the boys (students.) My
friends, all that He says to students is equally applicable to
everybody. We are all Baba's students. It is only with this view in
mind that I started recording all of what Baba says to the students.
These articles have been appearing in the Telugu Sanathana
Sarathi every month. The English version of this will be ready
quite soon, by Dasara at least. Included there is everything
that He says to the students there on the veranda. In these talks,
He creates a situation to convey the Divine message -- a message
that should reach everybody.
I was
talking to our professors and colleagues at the university the other
day. I told them that it is our duty to record all that has been
happening here. It is our duty to share with everybody everything
that we know about Swami. We are accountable to future generations.
They
will ask us, "What the heck have you done here? What is it that you
have got to tell us? Have you got anything to share with us?" People
will ask you that tomorrow. You cannot only say then, "I have only 2
packets of prasadam and 3 fruits." You cannot say that unless
you want to become the laughing stock in front of others. I told
them this openly.
Therefore, it is absolutely necessary
to record what is happening, to preserve it and share it with as
many people as possible. That's an obligation, a sacred duty, which
one has to take upon oneself; more so, the members of the university
-- students and teachers. That is very important.
We have too many
contacts
The
third point that He says quite often to students and teachers is:
"Too many contacts. Watch your company." Having too many contacts is
also one of the reasons for our sad state of affairs; this is
responsible for our unhappiness -- too many contacts.
Well, these contacts are necessary for a man who
wants
a social life, or one who wants to have a political career, or have
a little more influence. We have so many international organisations
where people have many contacts in order to foster their businesses.
Very good. Like the Indian Chamber of Commerce. Contacts are
necessary to have businesses here. I can't say, "Do some meditation
in the Indian Chamber of Commerce." I can't tell them. These are
necessary contacts.
But a
spiritual organisation is definitely not for contacts and
influence. Some people go on taking and collecting addresses,
e-mail addresses and contact addresses. Why? This is a spiritual
organisation, where we are not supposed to have too many contacts.
Swami tells us this repeatedly. Why? Does He not want us to be
benefited by our friends? Does He not want us to be enriched with
the association of others? No, it is not this at all.
The dual mind is
half-blind
Baba
gives a simple reason. The more contacts you have, the more and more
you interact with others. Being in the spiritual field, what is the
result? The mind becomes extroverted. The mind turns outward. What
we call pravritthi. Pravritthi means a mind that
is extroverted, a mind that is
outward, worldly, physical, sensual, dual. Therefore, when the mind
is turned outside, it becomes a dual mind. "The dual mind is
half-blind," as Baba says. The one with the dual mind is half-blind.
Therefore my friends, with too many contacts, influences, and
circles of friends, what happens is the mind becomes
outward. The mind turns outward.
Even if you sit for meditation, these thoughts would get in: 'I
could influence this batch of ten. When shall I reach the other
group of ten? When shall I go to the next group?' This is because
you are very much bothered in trying to increase the number of
people known to you. Well, that deviates or diverts your attention.
God expects single-pointed attention. Ekagra chitta, one-pointedness.
That's what is expected in the spiritual field. That's why Swami
appreciates the boys who are very silent.
To be
very frank with you, I am not able to come anywhere near Swami's
expectations, as of today. This is because we have come to Swami
very late in our life, at the age of 48 or 49. So to expect any
transformation is a mistake. Old habits die hard, you know.
(Laughter)
So
Swami wants to mould boys at a tender age, so that they will be able
to live with an inward-turned mind; they will know how to turn the
mind inward. If the mind does not turn inward, one can never be
spiritual in a lifetime. The basic fundamental principle for a
spiritual aspirant or seeker is to have an introverted mind, a mind
that is inward. So, avoid too many
contacts and too much company.
Furthermore, Bhagavan has given this example: A mind that is
extroverted, a mind that is outward, pravritthi, is like the
hot sun. In the hot sun, you have the light and the heat together,
as in the summer. The heat and the light together are unbearable;
whereas, with a mind turned inward, you have the light and all
coolness, all comfort. So, this is the third cause for our misery.
"What
is happening with me? What is happening?" I should be free from
these three: Pride and its twin sister, ego, free from this pair;
next is jealousy; and last, too many contacts and company. These
three are detrimental to our
growth and progress along the spiritual path.
Sadhana is a
solution to a problem
"Then
Swami, please give us some solution. How do we get rid of this ego?
How do we get rid of this jealousy?"
Bhagavan gives us solutions that we call sadhana. Sadhana
is a solution to the problem. Sadhana is a solution to any
psychological problem, or spiritual problem, or whatever it might
be. Bhagavan does not leave you at that level; He will remove your
problems. But we give problems to others, and we have many more
problems ourselves. Bhagavan comes forward with some solutions to
these problems -- sadhana. What is it?
Forced to be silent
One:
Silence. Here I can say this with no ill will to anybody, and with
goodwill to all. A man who is really silent will have a cheerful
face. Peace and bliss are quite noticeable on the face of a man of
silence.
But
there are many, many, many people who are silent by force, not by
option. They are forced into silence by so many seva dal
people or by some of the devotees saying, "Shh, shh!"
(Laughter) So, he is forced to be silent.
When
he is forced to be silent, what happens? He starts talking within
himself. There is inner talk. You find
some people… (Anil Kumar imitates some people, and there
is laughter.) Just watch. But some of us make the mistake,
thinking that these people are highly spiritual. No, no. They are
very, very close to visiting a lunatic asylum (Laughter), not
the meditation hall! Next life, that's all.
So,
the point is that a man of silence should be peaceful; he should be
blissful. The face will express it. The face is the index of the
mind. We can find a face very much disturbed. The face itself will
appear disturbed. Keep something bitter on your tongue and watch
your face in a mirror. Stand in front of the mirror. You cannot hide
your feelings. It is impossible.
Have
some sweets. The North Indian canteen is famous for sweets. Of
course, I don't receive any commission from them! (Laughter)
Keep one sweet on the tongue and watch your face, while standing in
front of a mirror. Or, when you meet your near and dear after a
couple of years, watch your face. You cannot hide your feelings.
Even actors could not be so successful.
So,
the point is that a man, when in silence, shows on his face if he is
disturbed or agitated. The reason is that there is inner talk going
on. When I meet that fellow, he will not say, "Sai Ram" to me. I'll
call him back, even shout at him, but there'll be no response.
Therein lays the problem. He is talking within himself. There is no
one there.
The
inner talk may be vindictive, vengeful, manipulative, manoeuvring,
or flowing with numerous thoughts. Though he is outwardly silent,
his mind is totally noisy. Though he is apparently alone, he is in a
crowd. He is alone practically, physically, but he is in a crowd or
a mob, as his mind is a market place. His mind has become a
supermarket place -- a pandi bazaar or Chinese
bazaar -- very noisy, a noisy
mind.
Silence is the
withdrawal of the mind
So,
solitude or silence does not mean refraining from talking or keeping
the lips tight or staying all alone. No. Silence, as Baba says, is
the withdrawal of the mind. It means withdrawal of the mind. Okay,
never mind. Where is the mind? Where is the mind? Where is the
question of 'withdrawal'? Where is the mind? What is the mind? The
mind according to Swam
is,
"Manava is manaha", which means thought flow, recapitulation,
and memory.
"Five
years ago, you did not say, 'Sai Ram' to me!" Oh I see. "Three years
ago, you pushed me when I was standing there in the queue in front
of the canteen." Three years ago?! This is the mind, full of all the
recordings and memories of the past, like a computer floppy disc.
That is the mind. It is full of all that is fed into it.
So,
what does 'withdrawal of the mind' mean? You don't think of the past
and you don't think of the future. The mind is just withdrawn. It is
a thoughtless state. That is the idea of silence. That
is the purpose of silence. When there is continuous flow of
thoughts, we cannot call it silence by any standards. So, the first
solution that Bhagavan suggests is inner silence or withdrawal of
the mind, meaning the 'I'-less mind. This is true mind.
Suppose you sit at a place where I usually sit, and Swami starts
giving darshan. I cannot push you out, as it is too late. Had
it been before darshan, there would have been a very good
boxing or wresting or shouting. But Swami has started giving
darshan with you sitting in a place where I usually sit. What
can I do now? I cannot shout because Swami has already started.
So, I
sit somewhere else and remain silent outwardly. But inwardly, I am
thinking, 'Immediately after Swami goes into the interview room, I
will pull his collar. (Laughter) I'll see that he is out!'
Are you silent? No, no, no. You are thinking what to do next. In
fact, you want Swami to complete His darshan sooner so that
you can jump on him immediately!
Silence? What is the use of it, my friends? These are simple things
that happen in our life. If we just read about it from an academic
point of view as a text, we can complicate it. But these things have
been happening regularly, every day in our lives.
"Withdrawal
of 'I and mine', consciousness, silence, withdrawal of the mind,
thoughtless state, well, why? How am I benefited by that?"
Baba
says, "You can make your life sacred, you can make your life
sublime, you can make your life holy, you can make your life
spiritual, you can enrich your life, you can develop faith more and
more by observing silence. You can develop more concentration
by observing silence."
Therefore, silent sitting is introduced right from the bal vikas
stage. You find children and pre-seva dal students sitting
there. They practice silence right from the beginning. The purpose
of it is to develop inner concentration. Have more faith in this.
That's one solution which Baba suggests.
Befriend your mind
The
second suggestion is to befriend
your mind. Yes, befriend your mind. There are some people who go on
complaining, "I am not able to do that."
You
are doing 108 pradakshinas around Ganesha; yet you say, "I am
not able to do it." You don't eat on Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday
nights in the name of God, but you speak, "I am not able to do it."
Arre, Arre!
Go ahead, fast; do not eat throughout the week. Why are we bothered?
(Laughter) Spirituality and eating have nothing to do with
each other.
We
are very much worried. Why? Because we fight with our mind. The
mind always aspires; it always wants to attempt to do something
more, to achieve something more. It wants to be 'something more'.
That is the situation. We don't have any other enemy in this world
other than our own mind. It always wants to be special.
'Oh!
So you are doing pradakshina 108 times? I'll do it 110 times!
So, I will have double the liberation!' (Laughter) Am I
clear?
'Oh,
you are doing it in the mornings? I see. I will do it in the
evenings also!'
In
this sort of a thing, what happens is that we are fighting with our
own mind. The other man is not responsible. No, no, no. It is my
mind that wants me to be more than everybody else in every aspect.
'You are doing service, okay. When
you do service for two hours, I will do it for two and half hours or
three hours!'
'When
Swami talks to you once, well, I don't sleep until He talks to me
twice! If it is once, both of us are equal, so it should be twice.'
The
need to be extra or something more than others is a weakness of the
mind, a feature of the mind, an expression of the mind, a trait of
the mind, a quality of mind that is making our life miserable.
Therefore, befriend your mind when
the mind goes on competing with everybody. When the mind goes on
aiming high, to be something extra, something more than others,
befriend your mind. Silence your mind: 'Oh mind, you may be more
than A, but you will be less than B. You may be more
than A and B, but you will be less than C.'
There
is nothing like absolute greatness. There is nothing like that. Life
is relative. There is nothing absolute like that. 'Oh mind, don't
crave to be more than others.'
Don't
be crazy. Befriend your mind. If I don't appeal to my mind, if I
don't befriend my mind, what happens is this. It turns into an
Alsatian dog. It pounces back! Yes. Never fight with your mind.
Those people who fight with their mind either become lunatics or
unacceptable people -- unacceptable because they go on fighting with
their mind. When one goes on fighting with his mind, he will be
totally restless, incompetent, and inefficient. So, you have to tame
your mind, tame your mind.
Don't fight with
your mind
Here
is a simple example: You visit a friend who has many pets --
Pomeranian and Alsatian dogs. They go on jumping on you. Well, if
you run away, they will chase you. If you want to fight with them,
you may need fourteen injections around your navel, as per the old
rabies calculation. Today, they say one injection is enough. Well, I
know, you can't do that. So when you are close to the dogs just
stand there and befriend them. They will start wagging their tails.
There is no problem, so you don't need to run away from that.
Similarly, don't fight with your mind. Be a friend to your mind.
Talk to your mind; appeal to your mind: 'Don't worry. Don't cry.
Don't be egoistic. No, no, no, no. Don't run that way. Please go
this way.' Try to dictate a better direction to the mind. Be a
witness to the actions, to the vagaries, whims and fancies of your
own mind. Just be a witness. Watch how your mind is functioning. Be
a watcher.
However, unfortunately I am not a watcher. I don't watch how my mind
is thinking. On the other hand, I become the mind. I start
feeling that I am the mind. When identified with the mind,
naturally I will be a terrorist with a dualistic mind full of
vengeance, full of vindictiveness, full of anger and fury.
That's the reason why one should go beyond the mind. Go
beyond the mind. All saints, all sages, all seekers, all
spiritual people are happy because they have gone beyond the
mind. This is most essential. The people who go beyond the mind,
come what may, they continue to be happy. Promotion or demotion,
reversion or dismissal, whatever it may be, they continue to be
happy because they are not identifying with the mind. So, befriend
your mind. Once you understand your own mind and study your own
mind, you develop Self-confidence.
Grow in confidence
by watching our own mind
People lose Self-confidence because they have no idea of their own
mind. They cannot predict when the mind will jump up and down, or
bump and jump. But if you watch your mind, you are separate from the
mind. Then you are not carried away by the whims and fancies of the
mind. Am I clear? So, that's what Bhagavan says about how to develop
Self-confidence.
Most
of us are very much concerned about what others think and feel about
us. Baba says, "Do not bother about what others say and feel. Others
praise you as long as you oblige them. Others condemn you when it is
not possible to oblige them. Others appreciate you as long as you
agree with them. Others will distance you when you start disagreeing
with them. So do not bother what others say about you."
Be an observer
Bhagavan Himself said, "You may call me bald, but I am not bothered,
as I have a mop of hair. Why am I concerned about your opinion after
all? You may say, 'Baba has a mop of hair all around.' Then it is
not an insult because I do have a lot of hair. So, when you say what
I have, it is not praise, and when
you say what I don't have, it is not blame. After all, why should I
be bothered about it? You are saying something which is not there in
me."
Therefore, let us grow in Self confidence by watching our own mind.
Then we will learn how not to be affected by what others say
and feel about us. The whole world may call you good, but within,
you know that you are not as good as what others are saying about
you. Or others may say that you are bad, but yet within yourself,
you know that you are not as bad as what people are saying about
you.
So,
go by your own conscience. That is what Swami says. "Follow the
Master." The Master is the conscience. "Do not bother." That's what
Sita tells Hanuman in Ramayana. Sita tells him, "Hanuman, if
you want to be peaceful, if you want to be blissful, if you want to
be happy, do not criticise others. Do not find fault with others.
Observe your own mind. See how it has been entertaining thought
after thought, and in which direction it is flowing. See in what
direction it commands your body to take action. Just observe. Be an
observer. Be an experiencer. Be a witness." That's what Sita tells
Hanuman.
Repeat His Name
Now, Bhagavan gives another solution.
That is, contemplate on the form. Repeat His Name. Contemplate on
the form which is close to you. It doesn't matter what form it is.
It can be your chosen deity, your family deity. Choose the form that
is endearing to you. Better you contemplate, saying His Name and
seeing His form. Why? To make your life sacred. When you see His
form and say His Name, your mind is withdrawn. You are thoughtless,
thought-free.
Come
on! Sing loudly, do bhajans. When you sing loudly and do
bhajans, I don't think that you will think of yourself at that
moment. I don't think that you think of your past. I don't think
that you will think of your future when you start singing bhajans
loudly. When you start looking at Swami, I don't think that you will
think of anybody else other than Swami. Therefore, see His form and
say His Name in order to make your life sacred. It is one of the
ways, one of the solutions, to be free from pride and envy.
Path of enquiry
There
are two processes toward only one end. One is quite easy –
contemplation or bhakthi. The other one is the path of
enquiry and it takes you to the same goal. What is that?
Let
us analyse. You are able to see the world. You are able to
experience the world. How? With this body. When there is no body,
you cannot interact with the world. All five senses of perception
and all five senses of action are responsible for experiencing the
world. That is the body. So, the seed
of this world is
the body. Without this body, you cannot experience the world.
Furthermore, the seed of this body is thought. The seed of the body
is thought. You can go through any scripture, and the scripture will
tell you that it is the thought which is responsible for birth and
re-birth. Every scripture says that. What is responsible for birth
and re-birth is thought. Therefore, the seed of the world is the
body, and the seed of the body is thought.
This
thought is born out of Atma, the source, or heart, hrudaya,
or consciousness. So, thought is the mind, while the seed of the
world is the body. Thus, the body is born
out of thought and thought is born of Atma.
So do
constant enquiry, as Ramana Maharishi says. As Baba puts it, ask, 'Koham?
Who am I?' If you go on enquiring, 'I am not the body, I am not the
mind, I am not the intellect,' you will be getting to the very
source of life. You will go to the very centre of your life. You
will be at the very being of your life -- the very centre,
the very core of your life. That's how one can go to the centre, the
consciousness or the spirit. This is one way - the path of enquiry
or vicharana or mimamsa. This is the path of wisdom or
Jnana marga.
Path of Devotion
On
the other hand, there is another path that is much easier. It is the
path of bhakthi or surrender. Here it is clearly stated that
when you cannot withdraw your mind, when you cannot go back to the
source, when you cannot understand the whole technique, this process
of meditation or enquiry, then the easiest thing to do is to
surrender to God, saying, 'Whatever happens is for my own good.'
Just leave everything to Him, whatever it is. When once you
surrender to Him, the very food that you eat becomes prasadam,
as Baba says. So surrender. Leave everything to God. That is the
path of devotion or bhakthi marga.
God takes human
form to teach Idealism
So my
friends, what is happening with me today -- feeling jealous or
envious and having an extroverted mind, all this is the main cause
for my misery. The solution is to follow either the path of enquiry
or surrender.
My
friends, God comes down in human form (takes an Incarnation) to
demonstrate to the world how man should live as an ideal parent, an
ideal son, an ideal leader, an ideal manager in all the different
facets of life. Idealism is taught to mankind. It is for this
purpose that God comes down in human form.
Christ, though we see that He was bleeding, though we feel that He
was in agony, though we feel that He died on the cross, still He
taught to the whole world what sacrifice is, what Love is, what
compassion is. And the resurrection is an expression of His
Divinity. Bearing the cross is a pain He bore, so that the world
would know how to bear pain. And the resurrection is an expression
of His Divinity, His true identity. So, Christ's apparent suffering
has a message behind it. In the resurrection, we understand that He
is not affected by this suffering.
Any
Incarnation may appear to be in pain at times, may appear to pass
through discomfort. It is all apparent, but inherently, there is no
pain or discomfort whatsoever.
Rama,
in Ramayana, cried because of His separation from Sita. He
went on crying. You may ask, 'Why should He cry? Why should I
worship a God who cries? I am crying already. Let my God not also
cry. How can that teach me since I have been crying all along? I am
not yet ready to worship a crying God!' No.
Why
should Rama cry because of His separation from Sita? Why? To teach a
lesson to everybody that when one loves one's own dear so much, he
starts crying at separation. This is how an ideal husband should be.
And when His brother Lakshmana fainted on the battlefield, Rama
cried once again. Why? To show ideal brotherhood. So, Rama shedding
tears because of separation from Sita, and also His shedding tears
when Lakshmana fainted on the battlefield is a lesson to humanity.
Actually, He is not crying. The tears have got a message behind
them.
The
very name 'Rama' means 'bliss'. So how can He cry? That which is as
sweet as a laddu cannot taste sour or bitter. It is
impossible. It is sweet sugar; so can it be bitter? Impossible.
Similarly, the very name 'Rama' means 'bliss'. He cannot shed a
tear. He cannot be miserable. He cannot be sorrowful. Then, why all
this drama? To teach the world how an ideal husband should be, and
how an ideal brother should be. That's what we learn from the life
of Rama. From the life of Christ, we understand how to bear
suffering, rising above it.
It
was Dayananda, the founder of Arya Samaj, who accepted
poison from the hands of his own servant. He told his servant, "Look
here, boy! You are bringing milk which you want me to drink. Every
night before I go to bed, I drink a cup of milk. Yes. Tonight you
are bringing me that cup of milk, I know. But there is poison in it;
that I also know. Since my task is over, since the purpose for which
I have come is over, I don't mind drinking it." And he added, "There
are thirty silver coins there. Take them and runaway from here,
because tomorrow my disciples may attack you!" He knew well that it
was a lesson to everybody -- the lesson of forbearance and the
lesson of endurance.
Ramana Maharishi
Ramana Maharishi suffered from a severe cancer on his arm. When he
was operated upon, he started joking with his own body -- joking
with his own body! When everybody came and said, "Swami, is it
painful?" Ramana Maharishi said, "Does my body look like that? Does
my body look like that? Do you find that it is suffering any pain
there?" He puts a question to his body along with the others.
When
he was not healing, a chair was put in the open air, and Ramana
Maharishi was made to sit there on the chair in order to heal his
wound. He started calling to everybody: "See that cut on the body?
See how shiny it is? Red, precious stones, gems shining. See that?"
He was speaking like that about his own body. It is a lesson that
one should go beyond the body. That is the lesson that the life and
message of Ramana Maharishi teaches to everybody, that one should go
beyond the body.
Sri Ramakrishna
Paramahamsa
Why
that far? Take Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa. Sri Ramakrishna
Paramahamsa suffered from throat cancer. It reached a state where he
could not drink even a drop of water. Many disciples came and
prayed, "Good Lord, Master, why don't you take rest for sometime? We
see you suffering so. Why don't you take rest for sometime?"
Sri
Ramakrishna Paramahamsa said, "I have not come here to take rest.
When most of you are drinking water, this body does not need to
drink water again. You are drinking water, quenching your thirst,
but I don't have to drink again." That's what Sri Ramakrishna
Paramahamsa said.
In an
adjoining room next to Paramahamsa's room sat Vivekananda, the first
and foremost disciple. Ramakrishna Paramahamsa is known to the world
through Vivekananda, as most of you know.
Vivekananda was in other room and he started doubting, 'How can I
believe my Master? Is he Divine? Is he the Divine Master? If he is
really Divine, why is he suffering? Why is he not curing himself?
Why should he suffer? Why should he bear the whole torture? Why is
he torturing himself?' That was the doubt in the mind of
Vivekananda.
Then
all of a sudden, Paramahamsa appeared in that room and smiled
saying, "Vivekananda, Naren, what a fool you are! What a fool you
are, my boy. My body may give an appearance as if it is passing
through pain. My body may look as though it is painful, as if I am
miserable, but I am not. You see my effulgent form now. Rama of
Thretha Yuga, Krishna of Dwapara Yuga is
Sri Ramakrishna standing in front of you now. Do you understand?"
And then, he disappeared. That was the day when Vivekananda
developed some viveka, some discrimination. He had doubted
his Master before.
Sarada was the consort of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa. After
Paramahamsa left this world, Sarada Devi went on crying because she
had to stay with her brother, looking after her brother's children,
washing their clothes, cooking and doing everything.
One
day she was crying, "Oh good Lord, had you left me with one child, I
would have taken care of that child. My life would have been so
happy. Why did you leave me all alone here?" She went on crying.
Paramahamsa appeared there and asked her, "Why do you cry, Sarada?
Why one child? There will be hundreds of children who you will be
looking after and running after tomorrow." That is the Sri
Ramakrishna Mission and movement which followed and continues today.
Do you understand?
What is happening?
So,
the Divine Master may appear uncomfortable. The Divine Master may
give an appearance that there is some discomfort. We may feel that
there is something happening there. But what is happening there is a
lesson about what is to happen within me. What is happening there is
a lesson for me to learn in order to improve myself.
What
is happening there is judged by my mind. What is happening there is
watched by my senses. But, in reality, the spiritual Truth is known
when one goes beyond the body and beyond the mind. Now
I think you have got an idea of what I really want to convey. I
don't need to elaborate further.
Everywhere people have been asking, "What is happening? What is
happening (with Swami)?"
The
answer if this: Nothing is happening outside. Something should
happen within me. I should understand that whatever I see
outside carries a message for me to learn in order to advance or
evolve, whereby I will go beyond the body and the mind.
May
Baba bless you. Thank you very much.
(Applause)
OM…OM…OM…
Asato Maa Sad Gamaya
Tamaso Maa Jyotir Gamaya
Mrtyormaa Amrtam Gamaya
Om Loka Samastha Sukhino Bhavantu
Loka
Samastha Sukhino Bhavantu
Loka Samastha Sukhino Bhavantu
Om Shanti Shanti Shanti
Source:
http://www.internety.com/anilk2004/13.06.04(E)central.htm
© Anil Kumar Kamaraju 2004 - Here
reproduced for personal use of the devotees for the purpose of
seva.
Anil Kumar website:
http://www.internety.com/anilkhome/ -
http://www.internety.com/saipearls/
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