Prema Vahini

For maya (delusion) - constituted beings, there are two maya gates: the appetite for sex and the appetite of the tongue. These two have to be conquered by every man; so long as they persist, they cause sorrow. All worldly desires are comprehended by these two. So, only those who have mastered these two can be said to have successfully waded through the world. These are the causes of all sins; and, sin is the manure on which maya thrives. Really speaking, this maya-prapancha, or world, has to serve only the purpose of just sustaining the body. Those aspiring for liberation have to subdue the senses. “Food for guarding the body, dress to ward off the cold,” says the uttara geeta. If man, however, gets immersed in these two pursuits, he will forget the purpose for which he has come and the goal of all activity and holy endeavor. Instead, whatever activity a person may be engaged in, he must, as automatically as he takes in breath, be contemplating on these lines and should always be aware of this: “I am born to serve God and to realize my true Self.” All acts — wearing, eating, walking, studying, serving, moving — should be performed in the firm belief and steady mind that they take one into the holy presence of God. Everything should be done in a spirit of dedication to the Lord.

A farmer clears and levels the land, removes the stones and thorns, ploughs and prepares the field, manures and strengthens the soil, waters and fertilizes it, and sowing, transplanting, weeding, spraying, fencing and waiting, he reaps the crop, and after winnowing and threshing, he stacks the grain. All these various processes are for the sake of the stomach. So too, one must feel that all the hunger, thirst, joy and sorrow, grief and loss, suffering and anger, food and appetite are but the impulses of the physical body and mind, meant to help us towards attaining the presence of the Lord; one must also feel that all activities are of His. When one has such a firm attitude, sin will never tarnish these activities. The appetites too will vanish, without a vestige of name or form. On the other hand, if the appetites are treated as important, one can earn only sorrow, not joy. It will be impossible to acquire peace and happiness. Care and discipline are needed in nourishing the physical body; however, catering to the sensory desires of the body alone should not become your entire practice.

The Object of Activity is Good Deeds

The taste of food or of anything eaten cannot be grasped if the person is ill with fever or even if the mind is immersed in something else. So also, even if one is engaged in namasmarana, bhajan, japa, or dhyanam, if the heart is full of tamas (attributes of dullness), or if it is wayward, no joy can be experienced; joy can never well up under such circumstances. The tongue will be sweet, so long as there is sugar upon the tongue. So too, if there is the pillar of light, bhakti, in the corridor of the heart, so long as that lamp burns, there will be no darkness. The heart will be illumined in bliss. A bitter thing on the tongue makes the whole tongue bitter. So also, when bad qualities like greed and anger enter the heart, the brightness disappears and darkness dominates the scene and man becomes the target of countless griefs and losses. Therefore, those who aspire to attain the holy presence of the Lord must acquire certain habits, disciplines and qualities. The usual, accustomed ways of life will not lead to God. They have to be modified somewhat, by means of sadhana. Look at the crane! It walks about pretty fast in water. But, during the walk, it cannot catch any fish! It must, for that purpose, become slow and quiet and stand motionless.

So also, if one proceeds with greed, anger and similar qualities, one can only bring forth ahankara but cannot secure the fish of satya, dharma, and shanti. Whatever sadhana a person may or may not have, he must practice uninterrupted namasmarana. Then only can he master the natural attributes of greed, anger, etc. All the shastras teach but this one lesson: Since the Lord is the universal goal and this bumpy journey of life has Him as the destination, keep Him constantly in view and subdue the mind which makes you wander from the path. All the good qualities automatically gather around the person who practices control of speech and the constant contemplation of the Lord.

See! In the dwapara-yuga, the Kauravas, even while experiencing the fruits of their previous punya (meritorious acts), were engaged in papakarma (evil activity). The Pandavas, on the other hand, even while undergoing the sufferings due to their previous papakarma, were thinking and doing only punya! This is the difference between the wise and the unwise. The Kauravas were slaves of the appetites of hunger and sex and the Pandavas were devoid of such appetites and did every act for the sake of the Lord, having satya and dharma as their charioteer. Those who are overwhelmed in grief can never feel interest in either a feast or a fight. Similarly, the real aspirant who is immersed in thoughts of God can never taste or even think of worldly objects of enjoyment.

A Good Character is the Jewel of Human Life

One must realize in this body itself, before death takes its toll, the eternal truth and the relationship between man and that truth. The Kathopanishat exhorts: “*Uttishthata! Jagrata! Prapyavaran-nibodhata!*” Arise, awake, get initiated from the great ones! Those who are agitated by doubts, those who are ignorant about what to accept and what to reject, those who are blinded by illusion, and those who cannot distinguish between darkness and light, death and immortality, all such should approach great persons who can show the path to understand the eternal truth, the self-illumined basis of all creation. Then, this world and heaven both will be merged in the same effulgence! For the sake of this realization, man should have deep yearning and hard disciplined practice. This human birth itself is the consequence of countless good deeds and it should not be cast aside; the chance must be fully utilized. This is not only the dharma of man but also his duty.

As the Kenopanishat says, “*Na chedihavedin-mahati vinashthih,*” the jewel in the hand should not be dropped aside. When there are many chances of saving oneself, is it not a big loss if no thought is spent on the ways of escape?

For all those who are really animals in human form, slaves of pride and animal traits, this awareness, in time, is most important; delay is fruitless. If planning is not done in advance, it will be as silly as starting to dig a well, when the house catches fire. Therefore, the discriminating individual will endeavor by all means at his disposal, to understand the underlying principles, to master the teachings of the great men who practiced the spiritual path, and to bring all this, as much as possible, into the ken of one’s own experience. Without this effort, if one discards the path and wastes his life, it is an insult to the very name of the human species! Instead of getting enslaved to the evanescent and the false and wasting precious time in their pursuit, dedicate every minute to the discovery of truth, the contemplation of the everlasting, ever-true Lord. Such dedication is the real function of the soul. The spending of time in illusory appetites on the other hand is the drag of the world. One should not fall a victim to the poisonous attractions of worldly luxuries, or the wiles of seductive beauty. One day, all these fascinating scenes will vanish as a story unfolded in a dream!

Whatever happens to man, education and the rest, to make him grow and become big, these are of no use for his spiritual progress; they bring about only his spiritual downfall. That is why this is maya-prapancha. Truth, in whatever maya it is immersed, will only shine more effulgently. For, such is the nature of truth. How can we say that the objective world, undergoing modifications every minute, waning and wasting, with the waywardness of appearing and disappearing is eternal truth? So, the characteristic of a sadhaka is the attainment of truth, not the search of the unreal in this evanescent world. In this mithyaloka (false world), there can be no satyachara, true living. There can only be mithyachara, unreal living. True living consists in the realization of the Lord. This must be borne in mind by every man, every moment of his life.

Sahajamarga, Sadhanamarga, Not the Same

The sadhaka should note the distinction between the conduct of the sahaja manava (ordinary man) and the sadhaka manava (spiritual aspirant). Sa-ha-ja man is one without sahana or fortitude, with ahankara, or conceit, and one who is full of desires relating to the jagat (changing world) by which he is trying to have a contented janma (birth). The sadhana man is he who is engaged in sarveshvara chintana (contemplation on the Almighty), as ceaselessly as the waves of the sagara or sea, who accumulates the dhana (wealth) of fortitude and equal love to all, who is content in the thought that all is the Lord’s and nothing is his. The sadhana man will not, like the sahaja man, easily bend before grief or loss or hardships, anger or hatred or selfishness, hunger or thirst or fickleness. One should master all the above things as much as possible, and journey through life in fortitude, courage, joy, peace, mercy, and humility. Realizing that the tending of the body is not all-important, one has to bear patiently even hunger and thirst and be engaged uninterruptedly in the contemplation of the Lord. Instead, by quarreling for every tiny little thing, losing one’s temper, becoming sad at the slightest provocation, getting angry at the smallest insult, worried at thirst, hunger, and loss of sleep, these can never be the characteristics of a sadhaka.

Rice in its natural state and rice that is boiled, can masticating these two be the same? The hardness of natural rice is absent in the boiled one. The boiled grain is soft, harmless and sweet. The unboiled grain is hard, conceited and full of delusion. Both types are jivis and men, no doubt. Those who are immersed in external illusions are “ordinary men.” Those who are immersed in internal illusions are “sadhakas” and “God” is immersed in neither, devoid of both. He who has no external illusions becomes a sadhaka and when he is devoid of even internal illusions, he can be termed as “God.” Such a person’s heart becomes the seat of God.

Therefore, it is possible to deduce that all is pervaded by God. Though, of course, the Lord is situated in every heart, sadhana is necessary so that they may discover it for themselves, isn’t it? It is not possible for us to see our own face! We must have a mirror to show us its image! So too, a basic marga or path, a sadhana method is necessary to become devoid of gunas (human characteristics, qualities).

The Harvest of a Sadhaka

There is, in this world, no tapas higher than fortitude, no happiness greater than contentment, no punya (meritorious act) holier than mercy, no weapon more effective than patience.

Bhaktas should consider the body as the field, good deeds as seeds and cultivate the name of the Lord, with the help of the heart as the ryot, in order to get the harvest, the Lord Himself. How can one get the crop, without the cultivation? Like cream in milk, like fire in fuel, the Lord is in everything, high or low. Have full faith in this. As the milk, so the cream; as the fuel, so the fire; so also, as the sadhana, so the sakshatkara (self-realization), is it not? Even if the attainment of mukti is not directly realized as a consequence of taking up the Lord’s name, four fruits are clearly evident to those who have had the experience. They are (1) the company of the great, (2) truth, (3) contentment, and (4) the control of the senses. Through whichever of these gates one may enter, whether he be a householder or recluse, or a member of any other class, he can reach the Lord without fail. This is certain. Men crave for worldly happiness. Analyzed properly, this itself is the disease and sufferings are but the medications we take. In the midst of these worldly pleasures, one rarely entertains the desire for attaining the Lord.

Besides, it is necessary to analyze and discriminate every act of man; for, the spirit of renunciation is born out of such analysis. Without it, renunciation is difficult to get. Miserliness has to be obliterated; it is like the behavior of a dog; it has to be transformed. Anger is enemy number one of the sadhaka; it is like spittle and has to be treated as such. And untruth? It is even more disgusting; through untruth, the vital powers of all are destroyed. It should be treated as scavenging itself. Theft ruins life; it makes the priceless human life cheaper than a pie; it is like rotten foul-smelling flesh. Moderate food, moderate sleep, prema, and fortitude, these will help in the upkeep of the health of both body and mind. Whoever he may be, in whatever condition he may be, if he gives no room for dispiritedness, if he has no fear at all, and if he remembers the Lord with unshaken faith and without any ulterior motive, all suffering and sorrow will fall away from him. The Lord will never enquire at any time the caste to which you belong or the achara (practice) which you traditionally follow. He only considers how many good deeds you have done and the purity of heart.

Bhakti does not consist in wearing kashaya cloth (ochre robe), the organization of utsavas (festivals), the performance of yajnas (sacrifices), the shaving of hair, the carrying of kamandala (water pot) or danda (stick), the matting of the hair, etc. With a pure antahkarana (inner consciousness), uninterruptedly (whatever one may be doing) contemplating on God, feeling that everything is the Lord’s creation and therefore one, unattached to sense-objects, embracing all in equal love, dedicated to true speech, this is, indeed, the characteristic of bhakti.

Of the various types of bhakti, namasmarana bhakti is the best. In the kali-yuga, the name is the path for saving oneself. Jayadeva, Gouranga, Tyagayya, Tukaram, Kabir, Ramdas, all these great bhaktas attained the Lord, through just this one nama. Why speak of a thousand things? Even Prahlada and Dhruva were able to enjoy the darshan, sparshan and sambhashana (sight, touch and conversation) of the Lord through nama only. Isn’t it? Therefore, if every sadhaka will consider the name of the Lord as the very breath of his life and, having complete faith in good deeds and good thoughts, if he will develop the spirit of service and equal love for all, then there can be no better path for mukti. Instead of this, if one sits in some solitary nook and holds his breath, how can he master his innate qualities? How is he to know that he has mastered them? Ambarisha bhakti (Devotion based on surrender as that of Sage Ambarisha) and Durvasa (A great sage, who used the quality of anger to prevail Divine Will over human circumstances), the combination of these two if followed will result in the fate of Durvasa himself; at least, in the end, Durvasa must fall at the feet of Ambarisha. May you avoid becoming such trishankus (he, who was hung between heaven and earth); may you experience the eternal truth, achieving the genuine state.

The Qualities a Sadhaka Should Cultivate

Every person is apt to commit mistakes, without being aware of it. However bright the fire or light, some soot will emanate from it. So also, whatever good deed a man might do, there will be mixed with it, a minute trace of evil. But, efforts should be made to ensure that the evil is minimized, that the good is more and bad is less, and not vice-versa. An ideal scenario is to not have any trace of evil. Of course, in the present atmosphere, you may not succeed in the very first attempt. You must carefully think over the consequences of whatever you do, talk or execute. In whatever way you want others to honor you, or to love you or to behave with you, in the same way, you should first behave with others and love and honor them. Then only will those honor you. Instead, without yourself honoring and loving others, if you complain that they are not treating you properly, it is surely a wrong conclusion. Besides, if only those who advise others about, “Which principles are right, which are true and good, which conduct is best? etc.” themselves follow the advice they give, there would then be no need for giving that advice at all. They will learn the lesson simply by observing their actual behavior. On the other hand, if vedanta is spoken parrot-like to others, without any attempt to put it into practice in one’s own conduct, it is not only deceiving others; it is even worse; it is deceiving oneself. Therefore, you must be, as you want others to be. It is not the nature of a sadhaka to search for faults in others and hide one’s own. If your faults are pointed out to you by anyone, do not argue and try to prove that it is right, or do not bear a grudge against him for it. Reason out within yourself how it is a fault and set right your own behavior. Instead, rationalizing it for your own satisfaction or wreaking vengeance on the person who pointed it out, these are certainly not the traits of a sadhaka or bhakta, but of ignorants and conceited.

The sadhaka should always seek the truthful and the joyful. He must avoid all thoughts of the untrue, the sad and the depressing. Nirutsaha (depression), sandeha (doubt), ahankara (conceit), these are as rahu and ketu (mythical snakes that supposedly swallowed the moon and sun during lunar and solar eclipses) to the spiritual aspirant. When one’s devotion is well established, even if these appear, they can be easily discarded. If not discarded, they will only harm one’s sadhana. Above all, it is best that the sadhaka should be, under all circumstances, joyful, smiling and enthusiastic. Even more than bhakti and jnana, this nirmala bhava (pure attitude) is desirable. Those who have acquired it deserve to reach the goal first. This quality of joy at all times is the fruit of the good done in past births. When a person is ever worried, depressed, and doubting, he can never attain bliss, whatever sadhana he may do. The first task of a sadhaka is the cultivation of enthusiasm. Through that enthusiasm, he can derive any variety of ananda. Never get inflated when you are praised, never get deflated when you are blamed. Be a spiritual lion, regardless of both. One must oneself analyse and correct one’s faults; this is most important.

Now, even in matters relating to the realization of God, one has to be careful. Whatever inconveniences one may encounter, one must try to carry on one’s sadhana, without any break or modification in the disciplines. One should not be changing the name that one has loved and cherished and selected for smarana (remembering). Concentration is impossible if the name is changed once every few days. The mind will not attain one-pointedness. All sadhana has this one-pointedness as its ultimate aim. So, avoiding constant adoption and rejection of names and forms of the Lord, one single name and form must be used throughout for japam and dhyanam. And, one has also to get the strong conviction that all the Lord’s names and all the Lord’s forms are but the name and the form which one is repeating in japam and meditating on, during dhyanam. One must not show any slightest feeling of dislike or disaffection or boredom on that name and that form. Taking all worldly losses, sufferings, and worries as merely temporal and transitory, and realizing that all this japam and dhyanam is only to overcome such grief, the sadhaka should keep the two things separate, without mixing up that with this, and, this with that. He must understand that the loss, suffering, and worry are external, belonging to this world, and that japam and dhyanam are internal, belonging to the realm of the love for the Lord. This is what is called pativrata bhakti or chaste devotion. The other variety, where the sadhaka selects one name and one form and after some time discards them for another name and form, is called vyabhichara bhakti, or unchaste devotion.

It is not a fault if it is done in ignorance; but, having once known that it is wrong and harmful, and after continuing dhyanam and japam with that nama (name) and rupa (form) faithfully, if they are subsequently changed, it certainly is wrong. Sticking faithfully to the nama and rupa is the highest vow, and the highest austerity. Even if elders advise you, do not give up the path approved by your mind! Of course, which elder will suggest to you that you should change the name of the Lord and give up the name that you adore? Do not consider those who tell you to do so, as an elder. Consider them as dullards. Again, see that as far as possible, the time and place of dhyanam and japam are not changed and shifted. Sometimes, as while traveling, even if it becomes necessary to change the venue, the time at least should be kept unaltered. Even if one is in a railway train, or a bus, or some such inconvenient surroundings, at the specified time, one must, at least, recall to one’s mind the dhyanam and the japam done by oneself, at the same time in the past.

In this way, by accumulating spiritual wealth, one can surely become the Master and attain the atma.