Articles for Saadhana

Harih Om Tat Sat. Jai Guru. Jai Guru.

See, this 'A' has got an unusual touch of spiritual seeking depth and apparently she had her own unfulfilled and perhaps disappointing and tormenting life in which seeking also has its place and importance. I have not yet known her in full, whatever she says I listen to. And she shows an extraordinary measure of spiritual dependence, affection etc. I understand her mother she lost when she was very young and father is apparently a little irritable. So there is a problem, that is one.

Luckily she has as far as I am able to see, a very good husband, ‘T’. So she wanted to have deeksha and we had almost fixed it to start from today. So, generally because she is a married girl, I always say, the husband should permit, consent, generally I ask the husband to come even to the initiation room and I ask the woman to prostate before the husband, take the consent and blessings. Then we ask (the husband) “Okay you can go now.” So the husband leaves the room. This is in cases where the husband is not prepared to or ready to take the initiation along with the wife. But the right situation will be when both of them together take up the deeksha because the spiritual deeksha is the last thing in human life. It has got tremendous power and it is very decisive in its role. And after deeksha, there should not be any lack of amity and cooperation between the couple. Generally spirituality makes one very independent, very sovereign, very self-reliant. It can take a man to any great heights of independence, sovereignty, excellence, mastery and what not! That being the case, we don’t want to upset the normal relationship and the like. If at all something were to take place, it should be in a very, very clear level of understanding, amity and cooperation and what not!

So, I spoke to ‘T’ (A’s husband) and ‘T’ also said. Afterwards I asked her, “Did you speak to him?” So she had her own idea, we don’t know how they are getting along. Both of them are educated and they have their own social interests, community interests etc. Ultimately, the suggestion was that she would go back this time, discuss the subject with her husband and fix a day when both of them will be able to come. Because the husband is not able to leave the mother, he has gone to see the mother and the mother wants him to be by her side. So it may not be possible for him to come straightaway now. So it is postponed. Apparently this has its impact and she is crying. I say we should not. This is a point where I have something substantial to tell all of you.

Yesterday we had the Muktisudhakaram matter-generation program. I was speaking on the fifth chapter of Bhagavad Gita. I spoke a few words of introduction so that the Upanishadic theme I delivered in Sreemad Bhagavata Tattva Sameeksha Satram can be interspersed there. After that, I took up the fifth chapter. In the fifth chapter, I was going through the original text right in the room, in the recording room and I found that the theme of the fifth chapter is Sannyāsa. It is called 'Karma Sannyāsa Yoga'.

Arjuna takes up a question. What is that? "You are speaking in terms of very good esteem about sannyāsa, you are also praising yoga. Yoga is activity oriented, interaction oriented. Sannyāsa is action renouncing, renunciation of action. So, the two are substantially opposed to each other." So Arjuna is asking: "yac-chreya etayor-ekaṁ", "which is better?" And Krishna is answering. So you can understand how important that is. The only subject that Gita and Krishna discuss is Tyāga and Sannyāsa. Nothing else! "Sannyāsa means Tyāga , tyāga means sannyāsa also.", says Krishna. So, what is this wonderful sannyasa which is applicable to active and non-active people, worldly and non-worldly people? This is a very crucial point. And you know, here is where I come with my unique statement. I wonder how many people know about it. So, I had taken fifteen verses of Bhagavad Gita, the chapter. So I came to the sixteenth verse perhaps, I think I am not wrong.

This is how he commences. 'Sannyāsa is very difficult to attain without yoga', he says. Now after having said this, Krishna presents nine verses in the fifth chapter, all of which are dealing with one theme and focus. You know what it is? Applying spirituality to the day-to-day life and interaction. Nine verses he has used. This is what I would like ‘A’ also to know. Our spirituality is not just concentric. It is realizing the Self. But the Self is realized by a human complex personality. The self is different from the body to begin with and it is inside the body. By a process of meditative absorption, you have to have to experience it to your own content, satisfaction and fullness. It is true. But because this self is realized by a human individual, he has to live, breathe and act with the realization.

So what is this self-realization realized in meditation? When it is put into an orientation of the daily activities, and all our activities are in the world, in the house, in the Ashram, in the hermitage, in the office, in the societal front. We go to the temple, we live in the house, we go to the office, we go the market, we attend social functions. So our life is moving from one phase to the other just like the mind is moving from wakefulness to sleep, sleep to dream, dream to wakefulness. In all these three states, the self remains the same and it enables and empowers the three. In the same manner, the realization of self which is concentric in one way will now have to become eccentric.

Unless this spiritual realization has got a functional and interactional sublime note, I don’t think this realization has got any meaning or relevance to our active and interactive life. So, these nine verses are very, very important. The first verse says:

The man who has realized the self, he has to carry sama-darśanam. For the time being, ‘A’ has to understand that this postponement if at all in her deeksha, it is not anything adverse at all! It is something very good. Even after deeksha, what she will be supposed to be doing, the same she is doing even before deeksha. In your deeksha effort because you are a married girl, why don’t you take your husband also along with you? So go and discuss this subject. Let both of you come if at all, so don’t miss anything. Now this kind of an expansion in your personality, in your mind will be required even after deeksha and after self-realization.

So the secret of self-realization is this samatva, samatva, samatva  and what do we have to be equal in? Ultimately two are the products - sukha and duhkha. The entire world we interact with only five senses. So far as we are concerned, the entire world of variety in our experience is only fivefold - Śabda, sparśa, rasa, rūpa  gandha. These five on touching the mind, going to the mind, they become two - sukha and duhkha. And you have to be equal only to the two. I think ‘A’ must be passing through a little unpleasantness or grief. She can only have grief and happiness. Now this is what Krishna wants us to be equal to.

See, it is not enough if you are a solitary seeker. At least in our Ashram, my emphasis is not that. You have to be a very good and amiable human. Even enemies should appreciate you. Be amiable, be nice and in bringing about these niceties, sublimity, amiability, sweetness, tolerance, outgoingness towards others in the form of compassion, fondness, adjustment etc. I think this is what makes a man of self-realization a model and enchanting. Let us be very, very clear.

Even cruel and gentle creatures go alike, placing their faith on a man who has no desire and desireful motivation. A man of self-realization will be viewed by cruel and gentle creatures alike. This is what Maha Vishnu depicts. He is sleeping on a cobra and just by his side, his vehicle is eagle. Is it not called eagle? Kite. See, the kite and snake are deadly enemies. But both of them have shed their enmity in the presence of Maha Vishnu. This is the way our mind acts with the benefit of self-realization.

So, Krishna speaks about nine verses indicating how this realization of sannyāsa or realization of self or sannyāsa or yoga will have a functional, a functional, orienting note so far as the complex life and complex interactions are concerned. So, 'A', you need not be sorry at all! Just understand, assimilate, it is very good for you, very enriching, you can come, go from here, come the next day. It does not matter. So everything will be alright.

Harih Om Tat Sat. Jai Guru. Jai Guru.